Israel, much like the fortress of Tel-Chai that Jospeh Trumpeldor fought to defend against Arab conquerors in 1920, finds itself beseiged by enemies both within and without. Terrorists, would-be friends inside and outside Israel, and even bad government officials. Here are the discussions of one proud Zionist resident on the state of the nation and abroad.

Friday, October 11, 2013

More Haredis going to work, less to yeshivas

For the first time in years, the number of Haredi students enrolling full-time in yeshiva study dropped by a whopping 4,400, according to the Ministry of Education.

In the ultra-Orthodox world, young men routinely take on full-time study of religious texts, and after marriage, they continue their education at special yeshiva institutions called kollels, which pay a living stipend to their students. This year, however, the government slashed the funds it makes available to yeshivot, allotting NIS 650 million rather than the previous NIS 1 billion. Further cuts are expected, with the 2014-2015 projected budget providing only NIS 400 million for Haredi educational institutions.

That means that living stipends for students have also shrunk, and according to the Education Ministry, many religious men have opted to start working instead.

MK Dov Lipman, who has been an outspoken advocate for better integration of Haredim into Israeli society, embraced the report, hailing it as a win for both the ultra-Orthodox and the Education Ministry, who have sparred over budget numbers since the formation of the new government earlier this year.

“The young men who are leaving yeshiva and kollel to go to work at this time are those who are not cut out to study day and night for years,” he told The Times Of Israel. “Most are not able to do so. Now they will be able to support their families with dignity while continuing to set aside time daily for Torah study and remaining fervently religious. This is a positive development, since historically this has always been the ‘Jewish way,’ even for the most strictly religious.”

Exactly. It's even one of the leading points made in the Torah itself, that working to support your family is important, so they're practically following the example set. Excellent.

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About me

I'm Avi Green

From Jerusalem, Israel

I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best.